Car insurance with provisional coverage

How does car insurance with provisional coverage work?

Provisional coverage is a solution by insurers to get you covered for your requested policy while they are still checking the details of your application. Suppose you have just insured your car and damage occurs before the insurer gives final approval to your application.

In that case, thanks to provisional coverage, you can count on the same coverage as when your insurance is already officially fully in place. This is convenient because it means you don't have to wait and can hit the road immediately without worry.

Duration of provisional coverage

Provisional coverage usually lasts no longer than a few days, depending on the insurer. Temporary coverage ends when the insurer has fully reviewed and officially approved or denied your application.

How long this process takes depends on factors such as the speed of the review and whether additional information is needed. On average, this is completed within 1 hour and in many cases within 10 minutes. It can take up to 48 hours.

Transition to final coverage

Once your application is reviewed and approved, the provisional coverage is automatically converted to final coverage. This means you are officially insured under the terms of the policy as agreed upon. You will then be notified via email immediately. Also, always check your spam folder or junk mail.

Final coverage starts on the date specified in the policy. Often this remains the same as the start date of the provisional coverage, so there is no gap in your insurance. For example, if you switch from another car insurance company, the new insurer will ensure that you remain continuously insured.

You will receive a confirmation from the insurer stating that your application has been accepted. Always check carefully that all details are correct and that your coverage matches what you applied for.

When do you not get provisional coverage?

Not everyone is eligible for provisional coverage. Suppose you've ever had a driving disqualification, then this can cause problems when buying auto insurance. As a result, you may not be able to get provisional coverage. The application must then first be reviewed by an underwriter from the insurer.

The same applies if you have a criminal record or if you have accumulated negative claim-free years. In these situations, you will not receive provisional coverage immediately, but must first wait for the full review.

Always tell the truth with your application

Are you leaving out important information when applying for insurance? Such as a criminal record or previous claims? Then the insurer may decide not to give you insurance. If so, you will not receive any money from the insurer in the event of a claim.

It can also happen that you first get provisional coverage, but after checking, the insurer still rejects you. This happens, for example, if you deliberately gave false information. Or if you deliberately failed to report important things, such as a criminal record or previous claims, and this comes out later.

In such a case, the insurer will contact you to discuss options, or you will be told online or by email that you have been rejected. Depending on the reason, you can try with another insurer.